Neither the Gala, the royal wedding, nor Princess Twilight’s coronation could prepare Rainbow Dash for the majesty of the edifice that stood before her. Its massive structure could easily take up a bulk of Ponyville, which explained why it was located on the outskirts of town. She expected such grandeur from a castle; coming from a restaurant, this certainly surpassed her expectations, and she could not help but gape in awe.
Soarin’, however, seemed unfazed by the sight. Perhaps he had seen all sorts of places during his Wonderbolt career.
Upon entering the facility, Rainbow Dash suddenly felt out of place. Ponies here pranced around with style and class. Had Soarin’ not been with her, she would have eased her discomfort by stomping her way through and ignoring any dramatic gasps or disgruntled glares from those around her. Instead, she kept her composure while observing her surroundings and pacing her steps as she and Soarin’ walked through the foyer.
They stopped in front of a podium right at the threshold of the dining area. A maitr’d stood behind it, his eyes gently glimmering as he greeted the two. He spoke with a thick French accent.
“Welcome, madame and monsieur,” he bowed. The foyer’s light gleamed off his glossy black coat. “How may I be of servees to you?”
Rainbow shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, we have a reservation for two.”
The ebony pony straightened. “Of course.” A navy aura emanated from his horn, and he summoned a sheet of paper. It hovered its way over to him, glowing with same navy magic. Pulling a pen out of his front pocket, the maitr'd asked, “What is ze name?”
A groan escaped Rainbow Dash’s lips. “Soarindash…”
She heard the pale blue stallion beside her choke back a laugh. “Really?”
“Ah yes, here eet eez” The black stallion scribbled something on the paper and then placed it onto the podium. “If you will pleez follow me.”
Once she entered the dining hall, Rainbow Dash was impressed with the scene. Tall windows were evenly spaced from one another around the room’s perimeter, and the mare saw a breathtaking view of the nighttime landscape. Among the windows was a huge glass door that lead to a garden. Ponies were coming in and out, and the fragrance gently drifted into Rainbow Dash’s nose as she passed by. The color scheme was surprisingly calming: burgundy carpet, cream colored tablecloths, mahogany chairs with red velvet cushions, and off-white dishes that looked so delicate Rainbow Dash feared she may break something just by looking at it.
“Here we are,” the maitr’d stopped at a table right by a window. He pulled out a chair, and slightly bowed. It took Rainbow Dash a moment to realize he was holding it out for her. With an awkward smile, the pegasus gathered up her skirt and sat down. She planted her hind hooves on the carpet to scoot herself forward, but the ebony unicorn had already started pushing her into the table.
Of course Soarin’ had the privilege of taking his own seat. Rainbow Dash knew she would never get used to being treated like a lady; how Rarity enjoyed this, the rainbow pegasus would never fathom.
The female pegasus mumbled a polite 'thank you' as the maitr’d bowed and backed away.
They were now alone.
Soarin’ bursted out laughing.
“Oh, shut up!” Rainbow knew what was on his mind.
“Sorry,” he gasped. “But… Soarindash? That’s hilarious!” He finally calmed down enough to speak clearly. “I take it that wasn't your idea.”
Rainbow Dash's cheeks grew hot. “No… it was actually Pinkie’s idea. She has a way with creating words.”
Another waiter came by and handed them their menues and filled their glasses with water. Soarin’ was still chuckling. “It’s a cute name, though.”
“Oh lovely,” Rainbow Dash once again felt herself leaning for a facehoof but caught herself just in time.
Soarin’ stopped laughing, but a smile didn’t fade from his face. “If it bothers you, I’ll drop the topic.” He took his glass and began drinking.
For the first time that evening, Rainbow Dash felt relieved. “Thanks.”
“Hey. What are friends for?” Soarin’ placed his cup on the table. “Anyways, this is our first date; let's just have a good time.” His face grew serious and it appeared that he was studying the mare in front of him. “You okay?”
Rainbow Dash didn't realize that she was scratching her eye while simultaneously avoiding getting mascara on her hoof. It must have looked ridiculous.
“Yeah,” her hoof fell so quickly to the table that it sent a jarring pain into shoulder. Wincing, she managed to give a reassuring smile. “I’m fine… Just a little sore.”
“Be careful,” Soarin’ said softly. “You’re gonna need your hoof for eating.”
“Nah. I like diving my face into a plate full of food and making a mess.” Rainbow Dash gave Soarin’ a boastful smirk. “Bet I can out-eat you.”
The stallion returned the smirk. “Try me.”
Rainbow Dash was more than ready for a challenge. “You’re on!” And she picked up the menu and began searching through its contents fervently.
"Wait, Dash," Soarin's voice caught her attention, and she looked up. "I was kidding."
Rainbow Dash lowered her menu in disappointment. "Oh..."
"We can save a competition for another time," Soarin' said. "How does that sound?"
"Sounds great," Rainbow Dash replied, listing in her mind all the possibilities she could use to compete against Soarin' and win. "When that time comes, I'll be ready. But don't chicken out."
Soarin' arched a brow. "It's going to take a lot more than an opponent like you for me to chicken out."
The mare huffed haughtily. "Then you're in for a surprise."
When Soarin' gave no reply, Rainbow Dash returned her focus back to the menu. She busied her thoughts with the list of the selections, trying her best to brush away a sense of uneasiness. Usually she could tune out her surroundings, but Rainbow Dash felt very distracted. It was as if there was somepony standing in her personal space. Once the feeling grew too strong to ignore, the mare brought her attention away from the menu noticed something in her peripheral vision. She looked a little harder and dropped her menu at the sight of a waitress carrying a set of napkin cloths with her white magical horn.
“Wait… Rarity?”
The white unicorn, who was in the midst of walking through Rainbow Dash's proximity, paused in front of her friend. “Oh!” She whispered.
“What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash whispered back.
She sheepishly pushed some of her mane away while she cleared her throat. “Oh… well, you know… just taking care of some business - like, you know, making sure your date is absolutely perfect.”
“Perfect?” Rainbow Dash echoed.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, dear,” Rarity answered, “you won’t even notice that I’m here.” And she was gone before the pegasus had a chance to respond.
Rainbow Dash turned towards Soarin', hoping he had not seen Rarity. However, he already had his menu lowered and it appeared that he had been watching. He looked confused.
“Heh… Guess Rarity has connections here," Rainbow Dash laughed nervously. "She failed to tell me that she works here part time.”
Soarin' looked a little concerned. “Is everything okay?”
I hope so, Rainbow Dash thought as she bit the inside of her lower lip. But she waved a hoof and said, “Nah, it’s just… never mind, do you know what you’re ordering?”
Soarin' did not look entirely convinced, but Rainbow Dash was thankful that he did not press the matter any further. “I’m actually debating between a few options." He flipped through the menu again, his eyes scanning each page. “Have you decided yet?”
Rainbow Dash looked at the list of dishes, but she felt her appetite slipping away. “No, not yet.”
“Why don’t yah try the Special?”
Rainbow Dash looked up at Soarin’. “What’s the special?”
The stallion shrugged. “I don’t know; I didn't say anything."
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash saw two other waitresses by her table.
“Applejack? Pinkie?”
“Give me those menus,” Applejack took them from the couple. “Ah know what’ll make yer meal extra special.”
“Desserts!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, throwing confetti in the air.
“Now Pinkie,” Applejack remonstrated, “that’s after the main course. Ah have t' get it for them, first." She looked at both Rainbow Dash and Soarin' with a toothy grin. "Whadd'ya say?”
Rainbow Dash spoke quietly to Soarin’. “I don't think we have much of a choice. Wanna try AJ’s 'special'?”
The stallion looked at the two mares and then back at Rainbow Dash. “I guess." He smiled and added, "Guess I won't have to worry about what I want to order."
"Fantastic!" The orange pony exclaimed, and both she and her pink friend happily made their way towards the kitchen. Pinkie bounced enthusiastically between tables, receiving angry comments from waiters and customers alike for her recklessness.
For some reason, Rainbow Dash found their absence more unnerving than relieving. Her mouth went dry at the thought of their return, and she took a few sips from her glass to help ease the tension. Initially, the water was soothing, but it tasted funny; she spat it back into her cup and gazed at its contents with a frown. Some of her lipstick tainted her drink, the water now sloshing around with a prominent pink tinge.
She wondered how Rarity functioned with all her make up and accessories.
“I can fix that.”
Twilight levitated Rainbow’s glass with her magic and undid the lipstick mess.
“Better?”
“Uh… thanks,” Rainbow Dash answered.
“It’s no problem,” Twilight pulled out her book and placed it right next to Rainbow Dash's plate. “You know, it says that to make a date romantic, there needs to be candle lights.”
“There’s plenty of light already; I don’t think it’s really-”
Poof! Scented candles of all shapes and colors in glass holders sat clustered together in the middle of the table; the aromas mixed together in a heavenly blend.
“-necessary.”
The little flames danced and flickered, greeting the couple with gentle gestures. Twilight smiled at her work and nodded proudly. “And it’s exactly how it should be.” And she happily trotted away with the book tucked under her wing.
An embarrassed smile crossed Rainbow’s lips. “Heh, heh. What else do you expect from an egghead?”
But Soarin’ seemed too fascinated by the candles. The little fires illuminated his green eyes, giving them a majestic glow beneath his black lashes. Small shadows stretched from his brows and cheekbones and lips, outlining the shape of his face. Yellow highlights streaked erratically across his cheeks, forehead, and navy mane, dancing with the flickering flames. Rainbow Dash could see the reflection off his pupils as his eyes wandered from candle to candle.
When he looked up, his eyes locked with hers. Rainbow Dash felt so much heat that she wondered if Twilight had brought them too many candles. All the warmth then consolidated from different regions of her body into her chest. She smiled at the stallion across the table. It was shy and pathetic, but she could feel it become more confident when Soarin' returned the expression. Something inside stirred - a feeling completely brand new, and she found herself enjoying its presence. With all these sensations racing inside her, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and found herself leaning forward-
“Soup’s on, lady an’ gent!”
Applejack plopped both ponies’ meals right between them. Rainbow Dash’s eyes snapped open and she jolted back as if she had woken up from a deep sleep. At the moment, she wanted to glare at her friend for interrupting, but she decided against it; if Applejack knew that both she and Soarin' were making goo-goo eyes, the orange earth pony would never let her live it down. Instead, Rainbow Dash just gazed at the meal the orange farm pony prepared for them.
It was a fancy dish for Applejack's style. While the pegasus expected something apple related, each portion of her meal contained no trace of anything related to an apple. Most of the plate was covered with vegetables, including lettuce, slices of tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, and olives, slivers of onion, croutons, and an assortment of seeds. A clump of wild rice sat atop the center of the salad. Some loose grains fell and were lost in the vegetable mixture. Roasted potato chunks were heaped together on a small portion of the plate that contained no salad. Pinkie Pie set a basket full of different kinds of bread, along with some spreads, on the center of the table.
Rainbow Dash was too busy observing her meal while the orange pony spoke about some family history related to the dish. It was only once Applejack finished speaking that the pegasus came to. Relieved to be alone, Rainbow Dash brought her attention to her date across the table. A small, genuine smile crossed her lips as she watched him eat, his mannerisms akin to a child who had never seen food before. When he looked up to meet her gaze - crumbs of food clinging around his cheeks, lips, and chin - he swallowed, smiled shyly, and wiped his face with napkin.
“Forgot my manners,” he said and resumed eating with a more polite disposition. But it was not without a glance at her plate.
“You gonna eat that?”
“Of course I will,” Rainbow Dash grabbed her dish protectively. “You have your own plate.”
He laughed, and she realized that he was joking. One whiff of Applejack's cooking stimulated Rainbow Dash's appetite; she took a deep breath and started to eat.
As Rainbow Dash brought her fork to her lips, a small shadow quickly flickered across her vision. She looked up, but found nothing unusual. Something nicked at her mane, and her ears twitched in response. Whipping her head from side to side, the mare tried to locate the source of the disturbance. Everything seemed normal until she heard something: a soft chirp followed by what appeared to be the sound of ruffling feathers.
Rainbow Dash scanned her surroundings once more. “Is that a-”
Soarin’ yelped, and Rainbow Dash caught sight of him dropping his fork and flailing his hooves. Her mouth hung open as the stallion swatted at a small, feathery critter. His hoof knocked it away, and it gave a harsh cry before it darted towards Rainbow Dash’s plate.
“Sweet Celestia! It's a bird!” Rainbow Dash quickly recovered from her shock and chased the bird with her hooves. “Get outta here!”
The bird flew away from Rainbow Dash's arms and hovered over the table while it squawked in agitation. It swooped towards Soarin’s dish again. The male pegasus grabbed a napkin and tried to chase the bird away, but its beak had already penetrated into the salad. Soarin' went to swat it a second time when it came back for more, but he missed; the bird nabbed some of the seeds that spilled onto the table. When Soarin' went for a third time, the creature was already back in the air. It came back down, but this time it was heading for Rainbow Dash's plate.
The mare prepared herself. Watching the bird carefully, Rainbow Dash timed its every movement. When it came close enough, she reached over and caught the creature with her bare hooves.
It squawked noisily while flapping its wings frantically. It pecked profusely at the mare while trying to claw her with its talons. Fortunately, it did not hurt much. However, holding the bird while its body constantly twitched this way and that made it difficult to keep her grip. With a desperate squawk, the bird wriggled its way out of Rainbow Dash's weakening grasp. With its escape came some loose feathers that drifted around gracefully like snowflakes.
It also left a present on her bodice.
“Oh, gross!” Rainbow Dash cried. She grabbed a napkin and started wiping the white mess on her dress.
Soarin’ knocked the irritated bird away from the table with the napkin. He looked over at Rainbow Dash. “What happened?”
Screams and angry shouts filled the restaurant, followed by an agitated chirp. Rainbow Dash glanced around and saw frantic ponies chase after the bird. She returned her focus to her dress; the stain refused to come off.
“That bird pooped on me!” She shouted.
Soarin’ gaped at her. “Whoa!”
The shouting stopped, and Fluttershy appeared immediately at the table with the bird perched on her shoulder. Following her was a disgruntled manager. He spoke to her harshly. Had it not been for the bird’s protection, the pale yellow mare would have flown out of the restaurant in tears. Instead, she profusely apologized both to the manager and to Rainbow Dash and Soarin' for any disruption and damage the bird had caused and immediately took it outside after being told to do so.
As soon as the manager left, Soarin’ grabbed a napkin and reached towards Rainbow Dash. “Here, let me help you clean that up.”
“It won’t come out,” Rainbow Dash huffed; she stood up. “Excuse me for a minute, please.”
Soarin’ was half sitting and half standing, the cloth still in his outstretched hoof. “Uh… well, alright. But let me know if there’s anything I can do, okay?”
Mumbling a quick okay in response, Rainbow Dash fought the urge to fly quickly over the tables. Instead, she walked deliberately and hurriedly towards the bathroom, hoping nopony would notice the stain. But the ponies were too busy in their affairs; apparently the bird hadn't caused too much trouble outside of hers and Soarin's table. Once Rainbow Dash reached a wooden door marked with cursive word Ladies, her sour mood shifted into childish curiosity when she entered the bathroom.
Everywhere she looked, something was glistening with class from the marble sinks to the granite floor. Above the sinks were large mirrors boarded with a gold frame. She approached her reflection tentatively, fearing that the bird had made a mess out of her. But she smiled in relief when she found herself looking more or less the same before she left Rarity's boutique. Though it was not her style, Rainbow Dash had to admit she was quite stunning. Except for the white splotch of bird excrement near her collarbone.
As she wet a paper towel, she could hear the quiet, timid voice of Fluttershy as she entered the bathroom.
“Oh my goodness, Rainbow Dash, I’m soooooooo sorry.”
Now that all her previous good feelings faded away, it took every ounce of energy to refrain from losing her temper. “What was with the bird?”
Off the mirror’s reflection, Rainbow Dash watched Fluttershy lower her gaze. “Oh, that was part of my choir. He just got scared and flew off.”
“Your choir?”
“I was going to have them chirp a song for you and Soarin’.” She twirled her pink mane in her hoof as she continued, “But I guess I didn't realize that no animals were allowed in this vicinity. I almost got thrown out.”
Dabbing furiously at the now diminishing splotch, Rainbow Dash felt her mood slightly lift. “Lucky you didn't. I'm actually glad that they didn't sing.”
She could hear the insult in Fluttershy’s voice. “Oh, I didn’t mean… Look, I’m sorry.”
Rainbow Dash turned from the mirror. "Wait, Fluttershy, I didn't-" But she was gone, and Rainbow Dash knew she would have to apologize later.
Had there not been makeup on her face, the mare would have rubbed her eyes in exasperation. Instead, she continued to clean off the stain until it was completely gone. She contemplated on wiping off her make up as well, but with her friends lurking about the restaurant, Rainbow Dash thought better of it.
After all, it was only for this one night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When she met Soarin’s eyes upon her arrival, Rainbow Dash involuntarily smiled.
“Looks like you got it out,” the stallion commented.
Rainbow Dash took her seat. “It took some time, but a little soap and water did the trick.” She noticed that Applejack replaced both hers and Soarin’s meals with a fresh plate due to the bird incident.
Looking at his untouched plate, Rainbow Dash realized that Soarin' had been waiting for her. But he seemed impatient to start eating, as he readily grabbed his fork.
“Mmm,” Soarin’ carefully wiped his mouth after the first bite. “Wow, your friend certainly knows how to cook a meal. This stuff is good.”
Rainbow Dash bit into her dish. “AJ knows how to kick flank when it comes to cooking.”
To her relief, the rest of the meal ran smoothly. As they conversed, Rainbow Dash nearly forgot about her friends. Occasionally, she'd glance around for a familiar face. So far, neither Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, Twilight, nor Fluttershy had been around. She inwardly smiled as she exchanged stories with Soarin'.
"How hard was it for you to get into the Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Pretty hard," Soarin' replied. "The group of cadets were all very qualified flyers when I was in the Academy, so my chances of making it onto the team seemed pretty slim, not to mention that the Wonderbolt captain of that time was quite a hard pegasus to impress."
"Spitfire wasn't captain then?"
"It was shortly before she got the position," Soarin' answered. "Thunderbolt was captain at the time, and he was very intimidating. Spitfire may yell and bark orders like a drill sergeant, but Thunderbolt made her look tame." He leaned forward and whispered, "but he's a lot nicer than Spitfire once you got to know him."
Rainbow Dash grinned. "Why am I not surprised?"
Soarin' sat back and continued, "Anyways, I did not know that about Thunderbolt until I actually passed the final test before actually becoming a Wonderbolt. I remember that day; I also remember that when I passed, Thunderbolt approached me with this huge smile on his face, and in front a crowd full of ponies gave me a a crushing hug. He congratulated me, and when he let go..." Soarin's voice faltered as his cheeks reddened. "I threw up in midair - in front of everypony."
"Oooh!" Rainbow Dash held back a laugh. "Oh, that stinks."
The stallion buried his face in his hooves. "That was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life."
"It happens to everypony," Rainbow Dash said softly. "There was this one time where I..."
“Ladies and genticolts!” Pinkie’s voice boomed across the restaurant. “I’d like to dedicate this very special song to my bestest friend, Rainbooooow Dash and her wonderful date, Soarin'! The best couple in all of Equestria!”
The room went deathly quiet as the lights dimmed. A white spotlight suddenly appeared, shining both Rainbow Dash and Soarin'. Blinded by the light, the mare blinked her eyes open and noticed that everypony in the room was staring at both her and Soarin'.
She sunk into her chair.
Pinkie continued. “We’re so happy for you, Dashie! Hit it!”
Party music filled the room. Trumpets, kazoos, accordions, cymbals, and other instruments Rainbow Dash could not identify rang into her ears. Pinkie’s voice flowed through the song, and the cyan pegasus’ face turned so red that she swore she looked like Big Mac.
Oh Dashie, we’re so glad, it’s true
Your special somepony is here for you
Though you were too tough to admit
It looks like you two are a great hit!
Pinkie's voice rose a few octaves on the last word. Rainbow Dash slammed her face into the table as she listened to the other ponies around her murmur and laugh. She could feel their eyes on her, and she could feel that she and Soarin' were the topic of their little conversations. Maybe if she’d just kick herself hard with her hind leg, she’d wake up and it would be just a terrible dream. Not only did it not free her from this nightmare, it was going to leave a bruise for the next few days.
“Come on, Rainbow!”
Without warning, Rainbow Dash was suddenly whisked onto her hindquarters by a pink set of hooves.
Don’t have to be such tough nut
She wrapped her arm around Rainbow Dash and furrowed her brows while exaggerating a frown.
Always have to prove that you’ve got guts
She jabbed Rainbow in the chest.
It’s so nice to that sweet smile
And think of that special kiss for a while
Pinkie grabbed Soarin’ and literally threw him into Rainbow Dash. The two tumbled onto the floor, while the pink mare absentmindedly bounced around them, her voice warbling with the motion. Before either pegasus could catch his or her breath, Pinkie grabbed both of their hooves and started dancing again.
“P-Pinkie!” The music drowned out Rainbow Dash’s voice.
The rest of the song flew by like a blur. The only thing Rainbow Dash was aware of was the swirling colors of the room: gold, cream, white, brown, red, and an occasional pink splotch of Pinkie, who continued to sing. Her voice blended into the music while Rainbow Dash’s ears rang intensely.
Upon the last clap of the cymbals, Pinkie threw the Pegasi back to their tables. Both Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ sat stunned in their seats. Either the other ponies were clapping, or Rainbow Dash was hearing things. When she finally recovered, she noticed Soarin’s disheveled mane. It looked as though he had been struck by lightning.
Applejack appeared at the table. “Dessert’s on it’s way.”
Rainbow Dash gave her a meek smile. “Oh… Great.” She could still feel eyes from the others on her, and the soft voices of conversations. She even thought she heard somepony snicker, but she was too embarrassed to look around, lest she would make eye contact. Instead, she just sat in her seat, gazing sullenly at her hooves.
Blood rushed to her cheeks when she finally looked back at Soarin’, who reflected the same embarrassed expression.
“Maybe we should head out,” Rainbow Dash suggested as she stood up.
Soarin’ nodded. "I agree."
A white face appeared inches away from Rainbow Dash's muzzle. “What?” Rarity’s voice sounded almost desperate. “Rainbow, darling, you can’t miss out on Applejack’s cake. She made it especially for you two for this occasion!”
“Say it any louder Rarity,” Rainbow Dash spoke through gritted teeth, “and I’ll...”
“WHO WANTS SOME CAKE?”
The unmistakable shrill of Pinkie’s voice pierced through Rainbow Dash’s ears. The female pegasus' jaw nearly hit the floor when she saw Applejack wheeling what appeared to be a wedding cake, except for the missing bride and groom figurines on the top. Instead the Apple family’s trademark sat at the climax - a large red apple with a big green leaf sticking out of its stem. Blue and green frosting ruffled around the pastry’s circumference. There was no way she or Soarin’ could finish that off - and there wouldn't be enough space to bring it home as a doggy bag.
“Sit down, sit down,” Rarity ushered the reluctant pegasus back into her seat. In doing so, she accidentally knocked over the scented candles. The flame caught onto one of the napkins, and the smell of burnt cloth began to fill the air.
Twilight appeared on the scene instantly. “Oh my goodness!” A magenta aura appeared around her horn while a book covered in the same glow hovered before her. She flipped through the pages furiously. “There’s nothing in the book of dating about what to do when there’s a fire!”
“Egghead!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “Put that stupid book down and use your common sense!"
Soarin’ grabbed a pitcher of water and thrust it onto the flames. The fire instantly extinguished, and smoke slithered its way out of the fading embers. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash was in range of the water’s path. It splashed all over her, including through her bodice, and it trickled down her chest and belly. Even her wet skirt was sticking to her legs.
Soarin’s hoof went to his mouth. “I am so sorry, Dash.”
Right as Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to say something, a large shadow appeared over the table. Everypony looked up and screamed. The large cake was flying in the air like a rocket; its target was the cyan pegasus. Rainbow Dash gasped as she shut her eyes tightly.
Splat!
Everywhere that she was wet, cake and frosting stuck to her like glue. It was in her mane, on her face, on her hooves, and under her dress - pressed between her body and material. There was cake on the table - there was cake all over the entire place!
Ponies surrounded her, the faces of her friends pressing into her personal space.
"Oh my goodness! Are you alright?"
"What does the book say about this?"
"Mah cake! It's ruined!"
"Dashie! We're so super-duper-duper-DUPER sorry!"
"Darling, let me fix up your mane and makeup."
Rainbow Dash couldn’t take it anymore. She held her breath until her face turned red and her body trembled uncontrollably. With a loud scream, she opened her wings and took to the air.
"No more!" She cried. "Just leave me alone! LEAVE. ME. ALONE!"
She bolted out of the restaurant before anything else could go wrong.